Notable News: Professional Highlights From the Great Lakes Bay Region

Tri-Star Helps with Flood Relief

As the Midland Center for the Arts recovers from the devastating floods that ravaged Midland County this spring, Tri-Star Trust, a community-driven wealth management partner and longtime sponsor, is helping to provide financial support.

“While we continue to navigate this pandemic, seeking ways to not only fix what has been damaged in our facilities from the flood but make them more efficient and less prone to future damage, we need the support of businesses like Tri-Star Trust by our side,” said Terri Trotter, president and CEO of the Midland Center for the Arts.

In addition to its support of the center, Tri-Star Trust has been lending support to residents within the community. Tri-Star partnered with the Chicken Shack to give 400 complimentary meals to the residents of downtown Sanford, and then worked with Pivot Point Appliances to underwrite the reduced price of washers and dryers that residents could purchase to replace what had been damaged in their homes.

Construction Academy Receives $50K Grant

The Greater Michigan Construction Academy received a $50,000 grant from the Midland Area Community Foundation to support the Crossroads Project.

The academy and foundation are partnering on a skilled trades pre-apprenticeship program to provide construction opportunities for citizens in the Greater Midland area. Throughout the program, community members, local construction company owners and safety experts will have a presence in the program to share their knowledge and expertise with the participants.

“This grant from the Midland Area Community Foundation provides the funding tools for the next two years that will offer accessible training to citizens that haven’t had the opportunity. We’re going to fix that,” said academy President Stephanie Davis.

HSC Awards Second Round of CARE Grants

Hemlock Semiconductor Operations awarded a total of $99,000 among 10 recipients in the second round of its Community and Regional Empowerment Fund grants. The second group of recipients includes schools, units of government and local groups that hold a 501(c)(3) designation.

“Even as we deal with the effects of stay-at-home orders and the COVID-19 pandemic, we know our school districts and local governments and organizations will be there to bring new opportunities to our communities once activities resume,” said Brooke Beebe, HSC vice president of external affairs. “The CARE Fund is one way we can contribute to better experiences for residents throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region.”

The latest recipients include the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum, the Rural Community Health Worker Network, Midland Community Former Offenders Advocacy and Rehabilitation, the city of Auburn, the River Jordan School of Transition, the Disability Services Resource Center, New Beginnings Enrichment Center, SEEDS Conservation Corps, the National Inventors Hall of Fame Inc., and the Chesaning Union High School Future Farmers of America.

DCECU Commits $100K in Flood Aid

Following catastrophic flooding that devastated portions of the region, Dow Chemical Employees’ Credit Union has committed a total of $100,000 to assist with flood relief efforts.

The donation will be distributed among the American Red Cross of East Central Bay-Michigan, the Midland Area Community Foundation, the Midland County Emergency Food Pantry Network, the United Way of Clare and Gladwin Counties, and the United Way of Midland County for use on a variety of flood relief initiatives.

“At a time when so many people and businesses in our local communities are already struggling in various ways due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the added devastation of this flooding is almost incomprehensible,” said DCECU CEO Michael Goad. “We hope that our contributions to these five organizations will provide a boost as our neighbors, members and employees work to rebuild their lives and their communities after the flood.”

Medstar Providing EMS for McLaren Bay

Medstar, Michigan’s most extensive and integrated 911 EMS and mobile health care provider, will become the ambulance provider for McLaren Bay Region and the surrounding communities.

“We recognize the commitment of McLaren Bay Region and the EMS employees over the last four decades and look forward to building on that legacy with expanded services, additional vehicles and new equipment,” said Medstar CEO Kolby Miller.

The transition will also extend Medstar LifeFlight’s air medical services to critically ill and injured patients in Bay County. Medstar is the only EMS agency in lower Michigan with an air medical flight partnership.

Hospital Awarded For Maternity Excellence

McLaren Bay Region has been awarded the 2020 Maternity Care Excellence Award by the Economic Alliance for Michigan, a nonprofit that awards hospitals throughout Michigan that demonstrate excellence and improvement in maternity care and delivery outcomes.

To be awarded the Excellence Award, hospitals need to fully meet the standard in all four of the following areas in the same calendar year: cesarean rates, episiotomy rates, elective early delivery rates and maternity care processes. The data is collected from The Leapfrog Group, a Washington, D.C.-based organization aiming to improve health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers.

“We are very proud to receive this prestigious award,” said Clarence Sevillian, regional CEO at McLaren, “We want our community to know that when they choose to have their baby at McLaren, they are going to be receiving the highest quality of care.”

CQA Selected as Program Administrator

The Center for Quality Assurance was selected as the licensing and quality control administrator of the new National Marine Manufacturers Association’s Gasoline Protection Program. In response to marketplace demands and evolving marine engine technology, the association collaborated with CQA to develop this program.

The program was implemented to assist boaters and manufacturers in identifying fuel additive products with proven performance that have been formulated to withstand the rigors of use in marine environments.

CQA will administer a rigorous testing process on candidate products prior to awarding certification, and then monitor and publish registered program brands to assist consumers in making informed decisions when purchasing fuel additive products for their marine engines. In addition, CQA performs audits of product performance, claims and logo use to ensure that the products continue to comply with the standard.

“The program ensures that the registered products adhere to high-performance standards and are tested throughout the supply chain to certify that they meet or exceed all of the specifications of the standard,” said Bill Grzegorczyk, program manager.